Sir Julius Vogel on Mr Gladstone's Policy

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 41, 16 September 1886, Page 3

Sir Julius Yogel on Mr Gladstone's Policy

Sir Julius Yogel, says the AngloNew Zealander, has written a remarkable letter to the Times on the subject of federation and Home Rule. He subjects Mr Gladstone's recent proposals t» some very severe criticism, especially protesting against his attempts to dissolve the existing partnerskip with Ireland before substituting a new one embodying a Federal Imperial Parliament ia its place. Sir Julius holds that if a Federal Parliament were established on a broad basis, all the concessions in the Government of Ireland Bill might be J granted, and more besides, but not till then. Sir Julius believes that Mr Gladstone abstained from making such a proposal because he foresaw it would be necessary to propose a federation of an inseparable character with the colonies, and hesitated to go so far in opposition to the traditions of his party. The New Zealand Treasurer, however, expresses his conviction that, notwithstanding all their theories, Liberal statesmen would not permit either New Zealand or Australia to become independent foreign countries so far as England was concerned without resort to force. He holds that a federation of the Empire which is other than mandatory has no Talue whatever. Such a federation would have at its command such measureless powers of self-defence, such inexhaustible resources, and such vast interchangeable interests, that for most purposes it would amount to constituting a portion of the globe into a distant world. If this dream could be realised within the year, remarks Sir Julius, what grander celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of her Majesty's accession to the throne could be desired than the first meeting of the Federal Parliament.